# Slumdog Millionaire **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2008, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117 "2008-12-01T01:25:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/1 "2008-12-01T01:25:44Z")
I just saw _Slumdog Millionaire_ this afternoon and, though I still haven’t seen _Milk_ yet, I think it might be the best movie I’ve seen this year. It’s gotten a lot of critical attention, but for those who are unfamiliar, the basic setup is this: The movie begins with a Muslim kid from the slums of Mumbai working his way through questions of the Indian version of _Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?_. The episode ends when he is one question away from winning the grand prize of 20 million rupees. A _Millioniare_ style question appears on the screen and asks how the kid, Jamal, got to this point: A. He’s cheating B. He’s lucky C. He’s a Genius D. It is written We then see him being beaten and tortured by the police who are convinced that he’s cheating. He is forced to watch a tape of the show and explain, one question at a time, how he knew each answer. The rest of the movie is essentially a series of flashbacks explaining how he knew each answer . It might sound like a bit of a corny premise, but the kid’s biography and the portrait of life in the ghettos of India is so harrowing, brutal and heart-rending that it keeps the movie from becoming too sappy, even if the ending is predictable. The movie it reminded me of the most is the Brazillian movie, [_City of God_.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_God_(film)) It has something of that kind of scope and immersion into a specific subculture. At its heart, _Slumdog_ is a simple love story, but it’s also a story about brothers and the mian character’s brother is a pretty interesting study al by itself. It’s not a movie for young kids. There are some pretty disturbing scenes in this thing. It doesn’t sanitize or pussify anything, which I think makes the payoff better earned. If you’re looking for a sleeper, this is it. Oh…and don’t be alarmed about the setting. It’s set in India, but it’s a British made movie and it’s(mostly) in English. The director is Danny Boye, who did _Trainspotting_ and _28 Days Later_. Has anybody else seen this yet? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/2 "2008-12-01T20:22:15Z")
Bump. Am I the only one who’s seen this? ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/3 "2008-12-01T20:24:41Z")
I absolutely want to see it. It played at the Austin film festival, but I didn’t know about it then, and doubt I would’ve been able to see it anyway. I’m just waiting for it to return to Austin. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/4 "2008-12-01T20:33:47Z")
Never heard of it, but now I want to check it out. ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/5 "2008-12-01T20:35:05Z")
I saw it, liked it. I thought there was enough humor to keep it from being too heavy, without detracting from the seriousness of the portrait of life in the Indian ghettos. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/6 "2008-12-01T20:53:02Z")
I saw this yesterday and thought it approached brilliance. It’s a nearly flawless balance of audience-pleasing wish-fulfillment romantic fantasy and clear-eyed hard-edged near-verite exploration of third-world misery. Beautifully paced and edited, almost perfectly cast, spectacularly well shot. I join with the high recommendations. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/7 "2008-12-01T21:06:18Z")
I saw it a couple weeks ago and and it’s my favorite of the year so far. Danny Boyle is always makes beautiful films (aesthetically speaking) and this is no exception. It’s stunning. It also has a great soundtrack. It’s also a nice change from the depressing (albeit great) movies that came out at the end of last year. Great story, creative, recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/8 "2008-12-01T21:10:30Z")
A terrific film indeed–great use of camera, color, and music, believably acted by everyone concerned, and a truly fascinating (and sometimes horrifying) look at a wide spectrum of Indian life–from organized crime to customer service call centers, with familiar markers (Bollywood, the Taj Mahal) interspersed with sides of the country (especially the truly impoverished ones) we never see. Some very tough moments, but never a downer. Will easily be in my Top 10 for the year. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/9 "2008-12-01T21:47:09Z")
> [@MilTan](#): > > I absolutely want to see it. It played at the Austin film festival, but I didn’t know about it then, and doubt I would’ve been able to see it anyway. I’m just waiting for it to return to Austin. I think the chances are pretty good that it will eventually get a wider release, given all the Oscar buzz it’s getting. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/10 "2008-12-01T22:03:18Z")
Terrific post **Dio**! My husband and I just saw it and were as impressed as you, **Cervaise** , **drm** and **Archive Guy**. You’ve all said it all. I too hope it gets awards attention but even if it doesn’t, I’d imagine that it’ll soon be known as one of the best films of the year. The comparison to City of God is spot on. What a great double feature they’d make! I loved the ending credits too, they’re among the best I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/11 "2008-12-01T22:08:53Z")
I want to see this. I love Danny Boyle. Millions and Shallow Grave are two other great movies of his. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/12 "2008-12-01T23:12:30Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I think the chances are pretty good that it will eventually get a wider release, given all the Oscar buzz it’s getting. Right now, I’d liken _Slumdog_ to Obama (runty underdog, multi-ethnic, energizing and inspirational) and _Milk_ to Hillary (classic liberal establishment, high street cred, but perhaps a little too familiar). The safe $ is often on the high-profile political martyr biopic, especially one as dignified, polished, moving, and impeccably rendered (it worked for _Gandhi_–8 Oscars–but less so for _Malcolm X_–zilchola). But this year feels like the Year of the Dark Horse, and so a film with barely a white person in it (let alone an American) may actually have a decent chance at being a Spoiler… ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/13 "2008-12-01T23:20:30Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > I loved the ending credits too, they’re among the best I’ve ever seen. Yeah, as soon as the crowd in the train station appeared, and the music started, the whole theater burst into spontaneous laughter and applause. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/14 "2008-12-01T23:33:19Z")
As grim as some of the movie was, just thinking about the ending credits makes me want to see it again, like, now! ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/15 "2008-12-01T23:49:35Z")
The Independent Spirit Awards nominations are tomorrow. I’m hoping it’ll get a lot of nominations. It’s already gotten several nominations from the [British Independent Film Awards](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/awards): Best British Independent Film, Best Director (Danny Boyle), Best Screenplay (Simon Beaufoy), Best Technical Achievement (Anthony Dod Mantle for Cinematography), and Most Promising Newcomer(s) (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar as the youngest Jamal, Dev Patel as the oldest Jamal. Slumdog Millionaire is the first film for both actors. Tanay Chheda as the middle Jamal didn’t have enough scenes I guess). ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/16 "2008-12-01T23:59:25Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > The Independent Spirit Awards nominations are tomorrow. I’m hoping it’ll get a lot of nominations. It’s already gotten several nominations from the [British Independent Film Awards](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/awards): Best British Independent Film, Best Director (Danny Boyle), Best Screenplay (Simon Beaufoy), Best Technical Achievement (Anthony Dod Mantle for Cinematography), and Most Promising Newcomer(s) (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar as the youngest Jamal, Dev Patel as the oldest Jamal. Slumdog Millionaire is the first film for both actors. Tanay Chheda as the middle Jamal didn’t have enough scenes I guess). Actually, the awards have already been given out and it won Film, Director, and Newcomer (Patel). _In Bruges_ beat it for Screenplay and Technical Achievement went to _Hunger_ (which, like _SM_, won 3 total). ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/17 "2008-12-02T00:01:20Z")
Oh, cool! IMDB hasn’t been updated yet then. Nice to see In Bruges won something too. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/18 "2008-12-02T01:24:59Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > The Independent Spirit Awards nominations are tomorrow. I’m hoping it’ll get a lot of nominations. :smack: I just realized that the Independent Spirit Awards are usually given to American films, so I wouldn’t expect to see any nominations tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/19 "2008-12-05T06:25:45Z")
Bumping this to mention that Slumdog Millionaire was chosen best film of the year by the National Board of Review. While these guys are shrouded in Mystery, they also have great taste in movies, and are by some considered the kickoff to awards season (though there have been others prior, like the Gotham Awards). NBR winners usually go on to be nominated for Oscars (for instance, 2007 NBR winner, No Country For Old Men, 2006: Letters From Iwo Jima, 2005: Good Night, And Good Luck, 2004: Finding Neverland, 2003: Mystic River, 2002: The Hours, 2001: Moulin Rouge!) so look for Slumdog Millionaire to be a heavy favorite for a nomination. Here are the rest of the NBR winners. Awards watchers will be seeing a lot of these names over the next couple of months: Awards for 2008: Best Film SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE Top Ten Films (In alphabetical order) BURN AFTER READING, CHANGELING, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, THE DARK KNIGHT, DEFIANCE, FROST/NIXON, GRAN TORINO, MILK, WALL-E, THE WRESTLER Best Foreign Language Film MONGOL Top Five Foreign Films (In alphabetical order) THE EDGE OF HEAVEN, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, ROMAN DE GARE, A SECRET, WALTZ WITH BASHIR Best Documentary MAN ON WIRE Top Five Documentaries (In alphabetical order) AMERICAN TEEN, THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON), DEAR ZACHARY, ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD, ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED Top Independent Films (In alphabetical order) FROZEN RIVER, IN BRUGES, IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS, MR. FOE, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, SNOW ANGELS, SON OF RAMBOW, WENDY AND LUCY, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, THE VISITOR Best Actor CLINT EASTWOOD, Gran Torino Best Actress ANNE HATHAWAY, Rachel Getting Married Best Supporting Actor JOSH BROLIN, Milk Best Supporting Actress PENELOPE CRUZ, Vicky Cristina Barcelona Best Ensemble Cast DOUBT Breakthrough Performance by an Actor DEV PATEL, Slumdog Millionaire Breakthrough Performance by an Actress VIOLA DAVIS, Doubt Best Director DAVID FINCHER, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Best Directorial Debut COURTNEY HUNT, Frozen River Best Adapted Screenplay SIMON BEAUFOY, Slumdog Millionaire and ERIC ROTH, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Spotlight Award MELISSA LEO, Frozen River and RICHARD JENKINS, The Visitor Best Original Screenplay NICK SCHENK, Gran Torino Best Animated Feature WALL-E William K. Everson Award For Film History MOLLY HASKELL and ANDREW SARRIS The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression TRUMBO ---
**Author:** ![WILLASS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/54ee81/32.png) [@WILLASS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WILLASS)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117/20 "2008-12-05T16:32:27Z")
Man am I looking forward to seeing this on Sunday, I’ve been looking out for this film since I heard about it and now not only are they showing it at my local art house cinema it’s free to members - me! Cashback! I noticed a mention of _In Bruges_ as well - if you haven’t seen this then you must, it’s a totally original take on the gangster genre as well as being both hysterically funny and heart breakingly sad. It converted me to Colin ‘Fookin’ Farrell as well - no mean feat I can tell you! I’m pleased to see a few good Brit flicks come out as it feels like ages since I last saw a good one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slumdog-millionaire/475117.md?page=2)